Truth or Dare
by GeminiGemelo
Summary: The cub never knew the truth about her origins, about why the others treated her differently... but it's only a matter of time. No secret can be kept forever.
1. Fighter

_**A/N: **_

_EDIT: In case any of you were wondering, the title of this fic is a coincidence. xD I didn't know what a Truth or Dare fic was until after I started writing. Oh well, too late to change it… at least in my opinion. :p_

_Welcome, readers. Or, if you have read my stuff before, welcome back. This is one of two new fics I was talking about on Chapter 3 of Trampled, if any of you are reading that. The basic plot of this story, as well as character names, were suggested to me by BellaVision. The rest is my own, I suppose._

_On with the story._

The day in the desert was hot… unbearably so. No wind wavered through the grass, and the sun shone, unhindered by clouds, through the bright, bleak sky. There was no birdsong, no cheerful atmosphere surrounding the flat and barren landscape. It was weather that fitted perfectly with the hopeless mood that hung about in the air. Maybe it would change, someday… but for now, it was the sort of weather that Tula was all too familiar with.

There was no moisture for a considerable distance in all directions, save for her tears, dripping quietly into the patchy, dried earth as she padded along, one pale brown paw in front of the other as she panted for breath. She picked up her pace even more, her small cub dangling delicately from her mouth, blissfully unaware of her true despair. But it was _her _cub. Hers… and Ranu's.

Tula was only a young mother. She had so much left to learn; so much more time that should have rightfully been spent with that same smiling, innocent cub. But all those plans were gone now, as they had no chance of ever happening. It wasn't fair, but most of her life hadn't been. Such was life, and she shouldn't have expected any different.

The lioness slowed down, and then stopped. She was exhausted; her trek through the dusty, completely unremarkable plains had physically and emotionally taxed her. It wasn't as though she'd never had to walk alone before: Tula was a rogue, through and through. But as she lied down on her side to give her cub a bath, she wavered. This would be, most likely, one of the last times they would spend together. Either that or the cub would die here, in this wasteland, having no survival skills to call her own and no real claws or teeth to serve as weapons. The cub's last hope… was her. She nestled the cub in between her paws, leaning down and licking her fur gently; her brush-like tongue easily cleared away the thick layer of dust that had somehow drifted onto her small body from the rare gusts of wind. The cub whimpered and giggled slightly in delight, smiling and batting at her mother's nose playfully. _She's already so kind, so like her father… _Tula looked down and grinned slightly in spite of herself, nudging her cub slightly in return, before resuming her bath, and beginning to think.

Tula had learned not to trust others at a young age. Her mother had repeatedly forewarned her about this, emphasizing the point by pounding it into her head, day after day after day... The story about how, after her father had died, a new king had taken over the pride she'd belonged to and kicked her out, just days before she was to give birth. Tula had, thusly, spent her whole life here, without a single being, other than her mother, to comfort her, to protect her, to caress her, or any of those other things that she knew were necessary to a young cub as it grows older. Years later, her mother had tried to rejoin the same pride, a new king having taken over, but it was too late. Her friends had forgotten about her. Abandoned her. They were quickly rejected. Their only fate was to forever live in this depressing waste, and the tough lioness that had served as Tula's mother had died soon afterwards, from unknown causes.

But that didn't mean that the young lioness's daughter was beyond saving. Seeing as how she had no other choice, maybe a pride would accept a wayward cub. She was young enough, and her mother could already tell that she would grow up to be strong and able to adapt to change. But Tula would never, _could _never join. Being a rogue her whole life had made her so used to the solitary lifestyle she called her own that she simply could not live in a group; that's just how she was, how her mother had taught her to be… She would never be able to trust them as well as a pride member should. Her being there would only endanger them, seeing as how bad luck always followed her. Literally. Because somewhere between here and her old home, _he _was following her.

The mother wanted to stay with her cub. Every maternal instinct she had told her to stay, to stay and to protect the new life which she was now scooping back up into her jaws.

But Tula didn't have long at all.

The lioness was dehydrated and dangerously hungry, and that other rogue male… he was after her for sure. Witnesses would not be tolerated by such a hateful being as that, and he would certainly kill the cub if he got half the chance. She had to get her daughter to safety, and soon, unless she wanted her to die already and at such a young age.

Tula's blue-green eyes vainly searched the sky for her mate, as if looking for some sort of help from above. Tears welled up in her eyes once again, running down her cheeks and displaying themselves as dark patches of wetness on her matted fur. He was up there now… now that he had been killed by that rogue.

The only male she had ever trusted had been murdered. Just when she thought maybe she had a chance at a family, or even a pride. A happy ending to be spent with others, to prove her mother wrong. But her mother was never wrong. Life had dealt her a bad hand, and so nothing had ever really gone the way it should have. There were no happy endings. Nor was there hope… except for the one ray of sunlight, that one precious being whose small, delicate form she now held in her mouth.

Tula ran now, unsure of where she was going; only knowing that she had to get there quickly. To the west, perhaps, towards the setting sun, which now cast long shadows to her rear. The night was going to be long and cold, but she would not be able to rest. The lioness had been on the run for two days now, and she could feel the effects intensely; the wired sense of adrenaline and energy that desperately coursed through her body made her feel as though her heart would explode at any second, a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off. But after she found a pride, she wouldn't run anymore…

A faint whiff of air drifted by her finely-tuned nose, her acute sense of smell detecting the scent of lions. And lots of them. This was her first, and possibly last, opportunity. Wanting to get there before nightfall, Tula gripped her cub more tightly than ever and bolted towards the source of the odor. It seemed like a rather odd place for a group of sweaty, smelly lions to gather at. But, nevertheless, she flew towards it at speed, the dried remains of the grassy carpet which once coated the savanna bending and folding under her quick and forceful footfalls. Unfortunately for her, however, lions weren't the only life here.

A flock of black birds, hiding in the grass in front of her, flew towards the sky at her approach, startled and afraid of the predator which had unknowingly come their way. The lioness tossed her head to the side, closing her eyes for a moment in order to avoid the array of flapping, fluttering wings and the shower of feathers that rained down before her. The birds cawed loudly at her, and she growled, irritated with their sudden appearance in her face and the raucous noise they created.

Spitting and hacking feathers out of her mouth desperately, she failed to notice the large herd of gazelles quietly standing in the flat, grassy expanse in front of her, until it was too late. Startled at the sight of both her and the flock of birds, the prey animals instinctively fled the scene, kicking up dust as their sharp hooves carried them away from her and over the grassland. Tula tried to slow down, but the animals were already in motion, and she simply couldn't stop fast enough. As the momentum carried her past a rock near where the gazelles had started from, she finally was able to stop and stand still, watching with hunger and confusion as they pranced away, already soon to be out of her line of sight.

It was then that she made a mistake. Momentarily forgetting about the lions, she watched them leap off into the distance, somewhat angry that she had unknowingly scared off a potential meal. It was too late. Such was life, she supposed, even if it was unfair… She hadn't eaten in days. _Curse those birds_.

Everything she had been taught, all her life, told her never to let her guard down, even for a moment. But the lioness's slowly degrading, vaguely shaking form hadn't quite thought through anything.

She didn't do anything until she heard an audible snarl to her left, pressing her into action as she whirled around on the source, ready to defend herself and her cub.

"Who do you think you are, running up on those gazelle like that?"

A tan lion viciously quarried, teeth bared into a growl, which was clearly threatening. Tula immediately felt distaste for this stranger and his odd, condescending way of speaking to her. He appeared to be significantly younger than her, little more than a cub at best, and certainly not old or experienced enough to be questioning her with such brash confidence. Nonetheless, she had no idea just how many lions were here. The lioness had no other choice but to appear as non-threatening as possible. After all, any one of these lions might just be a future family to her daughter. She couldn't risk starting a bloodbath.

She set her cub under her body, protectively nestling her behind her front paws, never taking her eyes off the foreign lion for a moment. Tula cleared her throat harshly, trying not to strain her rarely-used vocal cords as she spoke. Her words came out as little more than a harsh, chafing rasp, the clear voice she had had as a cub having continuously been worn down by the sand and dust she always seemed to be in contact with.

"I… didn't see them," she spoke confidently, unafraid as she maintained eye contact with the lion, who only glared back in silent, growing rage. "I'm sorry to interrupt your hunt; I needed help, and thought maybe you could—"

"—forget it," the tan lion snapped back simply, hatefully, as he slowly lowered himself into a crouching position. Tula immediately recognized it as a fighting stance. She wanted to take a few steps back, but didn't, because of her cub who hid fearfully behind her strong, pillar-like legs. She looked around, and finally recognized the rest of this nomadic pride; the forms of at least a dozen lionesses were quietly gathered nearby, as well as those of a few cubs who had hidden farther back beyond the grass and rocks, trying their best not to interfere with what would have been a hunt, had it not been for Tula. They all nodded their heads silently, though she could tell that not all of them really agreed with him. A few looked at her and the cub, sympathy etched across their faces. But they still continued that pained, mournful nod, not daring to dissent against the will of their young, strong, and vital leader.

Some of them appeared old and decrepit; others, young and healthy. She pointedly noticed that he was the only male lion, and probably the leader of the pride. The younger lionesses had to be… his mates.

Tula picked her daughter up once more, feeling uncomfortable about remaining here any longer. There was no negotiating, nothing that could change his mind. That much she knew immediately. She wanted to cry. To get to her knees and beg. But she knew better than that. Respectfully nodding her head, she controlled herself perfectly, hiding the tears and the fury, and replacing them with an unreadable, apathetic expression, just like she had done her whole life.

But she had let her guard down once more, something that, under normal circumstances, she never would have done.

_A hunt, ruined… Well, I'll show them. What will happen to them if they ever do what this… rogue… just did… Because they're lionesses. My lionesses. They need to be controlled; they need to know their place._

The tan lion turned, a little too innocently, pretending to walk away from Tula, who calmed slightly at his retreating footsteps… But before she knew it, he was on top of her, a wicked grin spreading across his face as he unsheathed his claws, letting them dig into her flesh. She grimaced, but refused to give him the satisfaction of crying out in pain, or for help. Being angrier than anything, she snarled at him, her raspy voice sounding all the more threatening as she desperately held her cub in her paws, out of reach of his claws and teeth, in case he dared to law a paw on her…

"Get off me now, or I'll rip you apart!"

None of the lionesses moved or even stirred, just watching… broken, solemn, and shockingly indifferent to what happened to their ruler. They didn't move away to help either of them, even as the lion began to smack her forcefully in the face, as Tula tried to contain the shots of pain that flowed through her body.

"I'd like to see you try…" he muttered defiantly, insensitive to the pain he knew he was causing her, despite her best efforts to conceal it, "… and I'll make you wish you were dead… Now, what to do with that cub..."

A twisted, sadistic grin spread across his maw, but it didn't last for long. A shot of adrenaline flowed through her as she freed herself from his grasp, letting her fighting instincts kick in as he vainly attacked her. Before she even knew what had happened, the same lion lied before her, dead, her daughter whimpering slightly in fear as she sat on the ground, looking up helplessly at her mother.

The other lionesses did nothing but stare at the corpse with empty, hollow eyes. Tula saw no reason to stay, being extremely distrustful of the pride she had just encountered and aware of the urgency with which she had to find a new one. The lioness began to limp away, her walking ability slightly limited now due to a thick, bloody gash on her leg, which the lion was able to give her before she killed him. She only hoped that she didn't leave a blood trail which the rogue could find, though she would only need to remain alive for a few more hours, or at least long enough to find a pride.

The sun had set by now, a full moon lighting her way and penetrating through the thick mask of shadows that ruled the land every passing night. Tula made her way north, glancing at the shining, faintly glimmering valley in front of her, vaguely remembering a story of a land her mother had once told her about, which lay to the north. She could see what looked like a vague change in the landscape, which, to her, was a faint ray of hope in itself. The lioness had never been this far away from the desert before, and had never thought this land to even exist…

But the Pridelands did exist.

_If you would oh-so-kindly review, please, I would be most grateful, as always. Your opinions are graciously accepted. ;)_

_See you next chapter/story/whatever I publish next._

_Twin out. _


	2. Runaway

_**A/N:**_

_Hey there, it's Twin. Finally here for Chapter 2. _

_**Mom: **Thanks. I know that happened too quickly, but what can I say? I got impatient. :S_

_**Jai: **Cool, enjoy. :) And thank you for reading._

_**Seph4evr: **Sweet; good to know someone is going to be reading this. Enjoy. :)_

_**MusicLEOPARD: **Uh, okay. o.o I don't know what that means, but... uh, yeah. Enjoy the story._

_**kate: **lol, here it is. xD_

_**IronicSnap: **Here you go, Snappy. :) Some of this stuff isn't going to resolved right away but it will in time. I have no clue how long exactly this story is going to be. O.o_

_**BellaVision: **Sweet! Here's the chapter you've been waiting for. :D_

* * *

><p>Tula staggered over the broken ground surrounding the Pridelands, tumbling hopelessly over the jagged boulders and sharp bits of crushed rock that littered the ground. Her normally agile form tripped over nearly every jarring pebble, her jaws tightly clamped around the cub to keep her from slipping out of her grasp. If her daughter's fragile skull came into contact with any of these rocks… it wouldn't end well.<p>

But it took nearly all of her strength to keep her whimpering daughter there as the world around her blurred into a swirling, intangible mass of colors. She couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten, the last time she'd slept…

"Ooof!"

She inevitably tripped over a rock, falling to her knees and rolling down the long, tortuous slope in front of her. Tula feebly placed her paws between the ground and her cub, but in the end, the lioness was barely able to keep herself, much less her daughter, from getting covered in scratches and long, jagged gashes. After bouncing and smacking the boulders that lined the painful slope, she fell off of a small cliff and into a patch of brambles, nicked from head to toe, hungry, exhausted, and now covered in sharp, piercing thorns. She stood up, unable to keep herself from crying out as her weight shoved the stickers deeper into her paws. The lioness grimaced, practically inches from death, barely able to keep going. Taking one shaky step, she couldn't keep her balance and again crumbled to her knees, struggling to get to her paws again. The cub mewled loudly, also in pain and not used to the sharp, jerky motions that her mother executed in her vain attempt to get up.

Tula crawled blindly towards the end of the bushes, each thorny shrub that she moved headlong into only prolonging her suffering. It took all of her effort to slam through the thick, tightly-woven branches that jabbed at her chest. The lioness looked as though she was swimming, trying to keep her head—and her cub—above the sea of thistles. Finally, using as much strength as she could, she slammed through the last set of brambles, which stood as strongly as a fence, made out of thorns.

She dragged herself out onto the dirt, her forepaws desperately clutching the ground. Tula again tried to get to her feet, though she knew that, at this point, it was almost hopeless. The lioness tried to surge forwards, but quickly tripped over her own legs, landing as a heap of twisted fur on the dusty plain. All she could do was lie there, watching as her vision blurred from the tears, which were now streaming down her face. The cub only whimpered, doing nothing, her sickly, pale form shriveled up in her mother's tight grip, confused and hurt.

And yet, after a few moments of lying there, she still refused to give up. The lioness began to crawl, her last ditch effort to keep going. She pulled her limp figure forwards with her claws, growling with the effort, finally running out of room at the edge of another cliff. There was nowhere to turn, nowhere to go…

Pride Rock was there, in all of its glory, barely visible on the edge of the horizon, sun shining down on its peak as Tula lied under the usual cloudy skies. The azure atmosphere, the bright grass… she'd come so close. _So _close. It made her all the more desperate, but it was still just as hopeless. She'd never make it there. Vultures began to circle overhead, creating a raucous noise as they descended on their next meal, their next victims to devour.

Tula held her paws out in front of her, gently placing her small, injured daughter into one of them. She looked down at the cub, who was not even a month old but was already doomed nonetheless, for what would surely be the last time. The lioness nuzzled her innocent offspring with her warm nose, cuddling her into the soft fur on her heaving chest.

Old lion tradition dictated that a mother was not to name her cubs until they were six weeks old. But they were both going to die anyways, so what did it matter?

"Little daughter, I'm so sorry that you never got to live a full life. But at least you shall have a name…" Tula frowned slightly, thinking for a moment as she gazed upon the dark brown life beneath her. "But what to call you?" There was a silence as the cub looked up at her mother, looked _through _her mother, as if she understood every word that came out of her mouth. Her eyes were blue, like the sky, and they had a certain reflective quality to them. They shone… like the sun.

"Shana," she said suddenly, a smile lighting up her mud-drenched face, breaking through the sadness in her heart, the sadness that always hung around her, for a mere moment. Shana… the name reminded her of warm summer days, of bright rays of sunbeam.

Just then, the clouds moved apart slightly, and a ray of that very sunlight found its way down onto her body, bathing the pair in warmth and comfort in their final moments together. For what she was sure would be the last time, the lioness closed her eyes.

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><p>"Kiara, if I've told you once, I've told you <em>a thousand times<em>! No means no!"

A lion and his cub sat outside on a rocky ledge, backs turned to the hulking form of Pride Rock. It was a warm day, and the cub was, like all cubs, looking for trouble. The lion patiently shook his head, fiery red mane swishing slightly in the morning light as he stared at her sternly. Unfortunately for him, however, she didn't acknowledge him. Her attention span was all but gone, being far more interested in the sparkling, almost magical shape of a butterfly, which was delicately flapping away from the paws which grabbed at it so eagerly.

"Kiara…" the lion began, irritation beginning to worm its way into his normally calm, regal voice. He stared at her motionlessly, waiting for her to answer him. _Stay calm_… he thought, scratching himself calmly with his hind foot, attempting to handle the situation as well as he could. Parenting, being king, keeping everyone safe… so much responsibility in such a short time.

"Hmmm?" She said halfheartedly, staring at the butterfly, which was now resting calmly on her paw. It slowly lowered its wings, exposing all the beautiful colors and patterns on them as she gazed upon the creature, eyes filled with wonderment.

"_Kiara!_" he finally snapped, scaring the butterfly off of its resting place, ignoring the dejected look that came over his daughter's countenance as it floated towards the sky, never to return. "Are you even listening?"

"Mmmpt…" she grunted indifferently, very miffed over the interruption in her play. The cub's lower lip began to jut out slightly, her light eyes staring up at her father imploringly, two shining orbs which were wet and on the brink of tears.

"Don't pout, Kiara. Remember what your mother said…" he added matter-of-factly, looking down at her small body as she flopped over onto her side, distractedly clawing at the rock beneath her as she mentally prepared herself for another lecture. At that moment, however, a lioness appeared on the scene and interrupted their one-on-one talk. Young and good-looking, she walked quickly across the ledge, as if looking for something.

"Mommy," the cub began, calling towards the lioness, "Daddy doesn't want me to leave…"

The lioness afforded one quick look at her offspring, before dismissing her with the usual, distracted "yes, dear, now listen to your father".

"Come on girls! We've got a hunt to go to!" the cub's mother called out, voice booming, to the other lionesses gathering at the bottom of Pride Rock. The lioness continued to pace around until, finally, she turned around and left as quickly as she had come.

"But _daddy_," she whined again, turning back to her father and ignoring her mother's advice, "how come I can't play with the other cubs at the water hole? Nyota is going. And Aibu. And Usiku. And—"

"Kiara, that's enough! You can't leave the confines of Pride Rock without an escort, do you hear me? You're the princess; you have to be responsible!"

"But it's so boring!" she retorted, rolling over onto her back. Her father's face softened slightly as he walked closer to her, ruefulness written into his expression. Sitting up, Kiara allowed him to put his paw around her in a loving embrace. She looked down at the ground, lips tightly drawn into a frown, clearly saddened over her inability to leave Pride Rock with the rest of her friends.

"Do you still remember what I told you?" he prompted softly.

"Yes, I know, I know. Don't talk to strangers, don't leave without permission, and don't go outside the Pridelands… daddy, _I got it_."

"Okay, okay, just checking," he smiled, licking the top of her head affectionately. "Now, your mother is going on the hunt today, and I'm going to be checking on the kingdom. Can you be good and stay with Timon and Pumbaa for me?"

"Uh-huh," Kiara replied, nodding innocently as her father began to walk away, preparing himself for the kingly duties ahead of him.

"Good," he said, smiling at her over his shoulder one more time. The lion king padded down off of the ledge, and in a mere moment he had disappeared out of sight.

"Timon and Pumbaa? Awww…" she muttered to herself, trudging towards one of the dark caves that littered the side of Pride Rock, not very excited at the prospect of spending the whole day with her babysitters. The meerkat and warthog were an inseparable duo. They had been good friends with her father, and they had moved into the Pridelands from the outlying jungle once he'd become king.

"Hey there, kiddo!" a voice greeted her as she padded into the confines of the sleeping cave, which was now empty except for the three of them.

"Hi, Timon," she grumbled indifferently towards the meerkat, who was standing on top of his larger friend in the middle of the cavern, distractedly twirling the pig's ears around with his small hand.

"What's wrong? You look blue," he continued, genuine concern written on his face, ignoring the fact that she hated his constant prying.

"Nothing. Just that daddy won't let me go out with my friends," she said sadly, flicking a pebble across the floor, watching as it struck the opposite wall, bounced off of it, and skidded to a halt.

"Aww, that's a bummer, huh, kid? But you know what? Remember what I always say: 'when the world turns its back on you, you turn your back on the world'!"

Kiara rolled her eyes slightly; he'd said that exact same phrase hundreds of times by now. Walking into the corner of the cave, she sat down, sadly at first, before she got an idea. Smiling mischievously, she turned her head to face the meerkat with a devious flick of her tail.

"You know what, Timon? That makes me feel a _lot _better."

"Really, princess?"

"Yeah!" she grinned, perhaps with just a little too much enthusiasm. "I'm just going to stay in here for a while, okay? I need some alone time..."

Wow. She almost couldn't believe they fell for it. The two of them nodded their heads lightly in agreement, and then left her alone. It was almost laughable that the king, who was so overprotective of her, entrusted them as babysitters. As good-natured as they were, the pair were notoriously careless.

"…Until I sneak out," she uttered to herself naughtily. Making sure the two of them were out of earshot and out of sight, she padded down off of the ledge and towards the water hole, where she would meet up with her playmates.

Or at least she thought she was moving towards the waterhole. She'd never _actually _been there before. But she was quitesure that it was this way… At least, that's what she heard from one of her friends.

"Wow, they'll never find me here!" she laughed happily, padding out in the wrong direction and towards the Outlands, where she was in for something she never expected…

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><p><em>Yeah, feel free to drop a review or what not. :p See you next chapterstory._

_-Twin ;)_


	3. Discovery

_**A/N: **_

_Okay, I know this took forever. But if you're still reading this, I'm guessing you liked the first two chapters. xD So here's Chapter 3! Only... two months... after Chapter 2... heh. Oh well, it happens. x) So, we cool? (: Good. Review time!_

**_kate: _**_Here it is... finally. lol Sorry I took forever. xD_

**_Seph4evr: _**_Thanks; glad you liked it. Suspense! Haha. :p_

**_Kblade: _**_Interesting, huh? Glad you liked that about it. Enjoy Chapter 3. :)_

**_mom: _**_Sweet. x) tbh, I wasn't that happy with it. But if you thought it was good, then cool. :p_

**_Ceu Praca: _**_The p__atient waiting is over. Enjoy. ;)_

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><p>"Hey, any of you all seen Kiara?"<p>

A voice piped up through the savanna, audible over the gentle bubbling of the nearby stream, which drained into the water hole. Several lion cubs laid limply in the grass, relaxing. This was their usual meeting spot; sometimes they would play, or talk, or just sit down and look at the sky, as they were doing during the present peaceful moment.

"Nope. She said she'd ask her father about coming, but you know how he is…"

A dark cub responded dejectedly, frowning slightly to his companions, plagued with the cynical thought that, no matter what they did, the princess would never be allowed to spend time with them. They had pestered her to come along with their little group on countless different occasions. But in the end, it was always the same.

Another older cub huffed slightly, her tan body barely visible in the thick stalks of parched, dry grass.

"Well, he can't keep her up there forever. Maybe he'll finally realize that she needs to spend more time with her friends and less time with those dimwits of babysitters."

All three of them had a good laugh at this, and though it added a little bit of humor and fun to their afternoon, they still felt like they were missing something. Each of them liked Kiara greatly; she was playful, and daring, and kind… not snobby and stuck-up like they had originally thought. The only problem was that they had only seen each other on a few occasions; most of the time she was escorted by Timon and Pumbaa. And those two were never any fun. Ever.

"Yeah, what killjoys," the original cub spoke up again, calm smile still not quite faded off of her face yet. "I feel sorry for her."

A moment passed, and all was silent except for the brook, which was still gurgling peacefully. But after several moments, something new appeared on the scene: the forceful trudge of heavy, quick footsteps across the ground.

"W-Who is that?" the first cub responded worriedly, head darting up to scan the surrounding savanna. But the answer was immediately obvious. This was no predator trying to stalk them. Rather, it was Simba, the largest lion in the Pridelands, rustling about noisily with worry written on his face. He finally caught sight of the cubs, and made his way over to them with an angry-looking grimace.

"Where's Kiara? Have you seen her?" he queried intensely, looking back and forth between the three cubs, who had gathered respectfully in front of him.

"No, we haven't. She said she couldn't come today."

Simba looked slightly disbelieving; his brow furrowed solemnly and he pawed at the ground impatiently. If Kiara wasn't here, where else could she _possibly _be?

"Don't you dare lie to me!" he growled in frustration, glancing back at the cub who had spoken. "She told me she wanted to come out here; where could she go off to if not the water hole?"

The cubs looked around, and then at each other, as if suddenly piecing two and two together. Suddenly concern appeared on their faces as they realized what exactly was happening.

"I-Is Kiara… missing?" The tan cub looked at Simba with a half-confused countenance, to which he merely nodded sternly in reply.

"Does she even know where the water hole is? She's never been out here before," the dark cub batted at the grass around him quietly, somehow knowing that something very wrong must have happened. What possible good outcome could come out of Kiara being absent? She was a young cub, after all…

Simba turned away at this remark and retreated off towards who-knew-where, obviously to continue his search. Kiara's mother, Nala, was also apparently present, as her light-colored head shot up from the oceans of tall, golden grass to scan her surroundings. How many others had joined the search party could not be said for certain.

"King Simba! We can help you look for her!" the tan cub spoke up, leaping after him with the utmost seriousness. The older, golden lion stopped in his tracks before turning around suddenly, as if remembering something.

"No, it could be dangerous. Go back to Pride Rock; in fact, here…" he again faced towards the search party, raising his voice as he called out across the savanna, "Tamu!"

"Yes, King Simba?" A young looking, pale lioness appeared from the curtains of grass around him, her narrow eyes darting this way and that as she studied Simba, and then the trio of cubs.

"Take these ones home. I want them safe."

"Of course," she uttered timidly, respectfully walking by him and picking up one of them by the scruff of the neck.

"Hey! Put me down!"

But it was too late. Simba had again turned his back to the cubs and was now returning to lead the search party—this time with no intentions of going back to the brook and chatting.

The tan cub looked at the black cub, both of them still sitting on the ground and mutually sharing a thoroughly miffed facial expression.

"What a way to _ruin _an afternoon," the latter spoke up in a depressed tone, rising to his feet and tagging behind the lioness, who had already started to walk away.

But the tan cub merely ambled alongside her, casting the occasional glance towards where she perceived Simba's search party to be—in case she should be able to catch a glimpse of them.

"Oh well," she muttered somewhat indifferently, "I just hope Kiara's alright."

* * *

><p>"Hey guys, where are you?" Kiara called out again, not seeing any other signs of life around. This was supposed to be the path to the waterhole, but it didn't look like there was any water anywhere. Heck, it didn't look like the <em>Pridelands <em>were anywhere—in any case, this place really didn't look like her home... and it was starting to make her nervous.

The small, golden cub waded through the thick shrouds of fog surrounding her, trying not to slip or stumble on the hard, rocky ground. Thick shadows enveloped her little body, despite the fact that it was only mid-afternoon, and her surroundings were silent—except for the occasional snap of a twig or hoot of a bird…

"H-Hello? I-Is anyone there?"

She queried wearily, before hearing the panicked wing beats of a dark, silhouetted, avian form. Now she was beginning to understand exactly _why _her father was so adamant about her staying at home. This place was hostile, to say the least… Any normal, informed pride member would have had little doubts that these were the Outlands—though Kiara had little idea of this, being as young as she was. And what was worse was that she was horribly disoriented… and quickly beginning to panic. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before. Every time she tried to find a way out or a different path to take, she would end up stumbling upon her own old footprints, or a place she had seen several times before. She was trapped. If anything, she was only descending deeper into the darkness. Deeper into despair. Deeper into danger.

And then she heard another noise. A sort of raucous, foreboding call… coming from a cliff edge over to her right. Without knowing it, she began to run, attempting to get away from the darkness all around. From the strange noises and the frightening terrain. She ducked under a fallen tree and ran down a rocky slope, trying to get home. Or at least to get somewhere—_anywhere_—else.

But then she tripped on a boulder, falling to her knees and tumbling head-over-heels down the hill. She slammed into a jagged-edged rock, causing her to cry sharply out in pain, and then continued to roll downwards, further and further… And all the time she was heading ever closer to the horrible ruckus she had tried to eschew.

"CRAHH! CRAHH!"

A vulture cackled loudly as she plummeted into it, and the pair of animals landed together as a heap of fur and feathers on the unforgiving ground. She blinked desperately, trying to get away from the swarm of birds that had apparently gathered over a fresh carcass. However, the vultures were apparently more afraid of her than she was of them, which was saying something… considering the fact that she was petrified. The group flew away in unison, including the vulture she had landed on, which had escaped her grip without her noticing. Kiara was alone again, and all was silent except for the retreating screeches of the carrion eaters. The lioness shook herself distractedly, trying to understand what had just happened. But after a few moments, she backed up self-consciously, realizing that she must be next to some dead animal.

Or was it still hanging on to the last threads of life? Though she had never been hunting on her own, Kiara had heard many stories about prey animals in the savanna being eaten alive… But in the end, she didn't bother to look, and she would have continued trying to get home if it weren't for the fact that, out of the corner of her eye, she could see something strange about it.

Indeed, this was no ordinary carcass. It was a lion. And though she was still mildly disgusted, her childlike innocence and goodness urged her to help this fellow member of her species, especially considering the fact that it might still be alive. And so Kiara crept closer, taking care not to startle it… lest it should be hostile.

"H-Hello… strange lioness…? Are you okay?"

No answer. In fact, her body didn't even stir. Kiara could see she was still breathing—if barely—though she looked to be in a deeply comatose state. If Kiara didn't get help soon, then it would only be a matter of time… And even then, this lioness' future looked uncertain. Perhaps even nonexistent. Not to mention Kiara herself was horribly lost. The cub nudged the lioness gently with her muzzle, lifting up her head, which had been resting on her paws. After a few seconds, however, the younger lioness tired and set it back down as gently as she could. The cat's head flopped limply down to the side, and she continued to study the sunken, injured form closely…

Wait a second. This wasn't the only lion, was it? The curious cub drew even closer, and was shocked to find a small, light tan body within the grasp of the lioness' paws. A cub much younger than Kiara… Sweet. Innocent. Adorable. It looked merely asleep, though she wasn't sure whether or not it was even alive. The body was so small that it was hard to tell whether or not it was respiring…

She licked its head with her tongue, and, to her surprise, it opened its eyes and blinked wearily, as though it had been awakened from a deep slumber. The cub sneezed lightly and looked at Kiara questioningly. Kiara nearly stumbled backwards at those eyes—piercing and as blue as the sky on a cloudless day.

"Hello, there. Is this your mommy?"

Kiara cooed happily, leaning closer and staring at the cub with awe. She beamed happily, gazing into those reflective blue orbs… But the cub looked back, unblinking. It almost seemed as though she had an oddly omniscient air about her, a sort of clairvoyant wisdom hidden away in her silent form. But she didn't speak—indeed, she was too young to say anything at all.

But this only lasted a few moments. The cub's countenance and mood faded into something different… her features contorted into an expression of discomfort, and after several moments she moaned quietly, weakly… Kiara looked at her confusedly, wondering what was wrong. Until, of course, she realized… this cub and the other lioness—presumably her mother—were stuck here, in this barren wasteland. She didn't know why they were here, but the cub was probably hungry. And there was nothing she could do to feed her.

They needed help. Both of them. She didn't want to leave the cub's side, as she probably wouldn't be able to find them again. Or Simba wouldn't believe her and would keep her at home without finding them. All Kiara could do was wait, and hope that someone would find her as she screamed out to the world.

"Help! Someone! Please help me!"

* * *

><p><em>Okay, so... if you're here, then you've probably read it. If you've read it, then you (hopefully) enjoyed it. And if you've enjoyed it, then you should review. ;)<em>

_Alright, you get the point... Feedback? Anyone? Don't all volunteer at once. :p_

_-Twin out (;_


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